Center for Music National Service

When most people think of what a musician’s life is like, what comes to mind is probably different than the life that Kate Fiano is leading. Fiano, an educator by day and a songwriter/performer by night, is living the life of a different type of musician – a service artist. “I wake up at seven every morning and ride an hour on the train to get to school in time to teach my first class,” Fiano says. “When I’m home in the evenings, I’m booking shows, recording, designing my website, and everything else that comes with being an independent artist.”

The demanding schedule that Fiano has carved out for herself is not unlike many of those who have come before her and serve alongside her with MusicianCorps. “Some people say ‘those who can’t do teach,’ but I’m doing and teaching. It’s about bringing together a classroom of students and giving them the opportunity and confidence to express themselves.”

While Fiano studied music education at the University of Vermont and holds a California State Single Subject Teaching Credential in Music K-12, she says her role with MusicianCorps has opened up her teaching style. “MusicianCorps has given me the opportunity to direct my musicianship towards cultivating expression, community development, and twenty-first century skills like teamwork and problem solving.”

Teaching K-5th graders at two different schools in the Bay Area, Fiano has worked to develop musicianship but also language and math skills through clever lesson planning. At Buena Vista Horace Mann Elementary in San Francisco, many of the students she serves are English language learners. “It’s been challenging, especially in the beginning, since I speak limited Spanish” says Fiano, of her experience at the dual-language immersion school. “But it’s a lot easier with music because it’s its own type of language. I’ve found I can still communicate by modeling, listening, and reflecting.”

At Think College Now Elementary in Oakland, one of her recent lesson plans included using popular songs to provoke group creativity. “We did a mash-up of K'Naan's Wavin’ Flag and Matisyahu’s One Day and the students were beyond excited. I had students who decided to go home and memorize the song before the next class period two days later,” Fiano said. “It opened up a serious discussion about war and peace that we had never had before. Then we performed our mash-up for the school, and afterwards had audience members telling us it moved them almost to tears!”

Fiano spends her nights and weekends promoting her original music. An active songwriter, Fiano performs and records her blues-infused folk music. She has two albums to her name, including a new 8-track EP titled Revolution. “I tried to create a raw, vulnerable sound,” Fiano says of her latest recording. “I think they tell a story of love and heartbreak, moving across the country, taking risks, and my hope for equality.” 

Whether in the classroom or in the recording studio, Fiano’s energy shines through. “My goal as a musician is to include everybody as part of the community, both in the classroom and in life,” Fiano exudes. “For my students, I want to be that person that my teachers were for me. If they want take the music and run and fly with it, go for it. If they want to keep it in the classroom, that’s fine too.”